Rubio to play key role in managing Venezuela, Bloomberg reports
Photo: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (Getty Images)
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will play a key role in managing Venezuela until a safe and lawful transfer of power takes place, according to Bloomberg.
According to the outlet, just hours after US President Donald Trump announced plans for the United States to govern Venezuela following the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro, uncertainty arose over what this would mean and who would take the lead.
Confusion was compounded by the White House providing few details about what managing an oil-producing country of around 30 million people would entail.
A US official said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long criticized Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez, will take a leading role in managing Venezuela.
Bloomberg notes that there is currently no clearly defined plan for deploying US troops or establishing an administration in Venezuela. However, Trump indicated that he is paying close attention to the country’s oil industry.
"Trump is essentially trying to control the vice president (Delsi Rodríguez) and people around her through carrots and sticks to get the outcomes the United States wants. We’ll see if it works," said Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director at the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council.
Trump appeared to confirm this approach in comments to the New York Post, saying that US troops on the ground would not be necessary if Rodríguez "does what we want."
US military operation in Venezuela
As a reminder, on January 3, the United States conducted a military operation in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. The operation involved aviation, the US Navy, drones, and a CIA intelligence network.
The goal of the operation was the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Along with him, US forces also detained his wife, Cilia Flores. They were taken to the United States and are currently in custody.
US President Donald Trump released the first photo of Maduro after his detention, taken aboard the American amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima.
On the same day, the US Southern District of New York filed multiple charges against Maduro. He is accused of conspiracy for narco-terrorism, organizing the supply of cocaine to the US, illegal possession of automatic weapons and explosives, and conspiracy to use them against the United States.
Additionally, Trump stated that America would govern Venezuela until power is transferred.
The Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Venezuela ruled that Vice President Delsi Rodríguez will perform the duties of the country’s president during Maduro’s absence.
